Combined paper-weight



(No Model.)

J. B. PRICE. COMBINED PAP R WEIGHT, LETTER SCALE, AND CALENDAR. No.476,067. Patented May 31, 1892.

Witnesses Sworn wot UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN 13. PRICE, OF \VOLLASTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

COMBINED PAPER-WEIGHT, LETTER-SCALE, AND CALENDAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.4'76,067, dated May 31,1892.

Application filed March 30, 1 892.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be itknown that I, JOHN B. PRICE, a citizen of the United States,residing at W'ollaston, in the county of Norfolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in aCombined Paper-Veight, Letter-Scale, and Calendar; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The presentinvention relates to a combined paper-Weight, letter-scale,calendar, and timepiece; and the object in view is to combine in asingle cheap implement or article for use on an ofiice-desk a number ofdevices which are compactly and simply arranged within a single case orshell, so that the several articles are always at hand for immediateuse.

With these ends in View the invention consists of a small shell or casehaving a movable cover, afoldable arm mounted on a rock-shaft and havinga scale-pan on one section of the arm,which is adapted to be foldedwithin the case, and the other section of the arm being rigid with therock-shaft, which carries a spring-controlled pendant arranged to impartaxial movement to an index-shaft, which carries a pointer adapted tomove around a dial or chart on the case or shell.

The invention further consists of a compound implement comprising ashellorcase, a lid or cover therefor having a time-piece which is visiblefrom the outside when said cover is closed, a weighing mechanism withinthe ease and having ascale-pan carriedby an arm which is adapted to beunfolded to extend beyond the shell and to be folded within the same,and revoluble calendar-rings seated in the cylindrical shell and adaptedto be exposed through a slot or slots in said shell, the latter beingquite small and serving as a paperweight, which may be finished'orornamented to have an attractive appearance.

The invention further consists in the combination and construction ofparts which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my device,showing the lid closed. Fig. 2 is a plan view with the cover opened,showing the balance arm folded Serial No. 427,114. (No model.)

within the receptacle. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the lid closed andillustrating the calendar rings or bands therein. Fig. 4. is anelevation of a part of the shell or casing, showing the dial and indexof the weighing mechanism. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the device with thelid opened and the balance-arm unfolded or projected beyond the shell oroasing; and Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view with the parts in theposition shown in Fig. 5, the plane of the section being indicated bythe line a; a: of said Fig. 5.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawings.

A designates the casing or shell of my compound implement, which isadapted for service, especially on an office-desk, as a paperweight. Theshell or casing is preferably made cylindrical in form, although this isnot essential, as any other shape may answer the purpose. I11 fact, theshell may be made of any preferable shape, and ornamented or finished inany suitable style. The lower end of the shell is closed, while theupper end thereof is open and provided with a hinged lid or cover 13,the lid having a rigid lug b, which is pivoted between rigid ears I) 011the outside of the shell, so that the lid folds or opens outwardly. Onits outer side, near the lower part, is cast an integral circular boss0, having a central opening 0' and provided with a seat 0', in which isfitted the dial-plate C, suitably inscribed to indicate the weight ofthe letter or article placed on the weighing mechanism D, which ishoused or inclosed within the shell or case A. The weighing mechanismhas a rock-shaft E, which is suitably journaled or supported in thewalls of the shell or casing near the upper open end thereof, and fromthe rock-shaft depends an arm F, which is rigid with the shaft. Thispendant F is adapted to contact or engage with an axially-turning shaftG, journaled in the walls of the casing near the bottom thereof andarranged at right angles to the rock-shaft, one end of suchaxially-turning shaft extending through the opening 0' in the dial C andcarrying the index or pointer g, which is adapted to traverse the dial.This shaft G is constructed in a manner to cause it to rotate when thependant F is moved by the rock-shaft along and in contact with thesurface of the shaft, and one means of effecting this axial movement ofthe shaft consists in twisting the shaft into spiral form in the mannershown, although other equivalent constructions may be employedas, forinstance, a spiral groove in a solid shaft, in which works a roller onthe pendant.

The shafts D G and the pendant are normally held in such positions thatthe index points to zero on the dial by means of a coiled spring H, oneend of which is fastened to the inside of the case or shell and theother end is connected to the pendant F at a point between its ends.(See Fig. 6.)

I is the scale-pan, which is preferably made of a single piece of metalwith a segmental edge and of such size that it will lie within the upperpart of the shell or casing A when the device is folded, and thisscale-pan is carried by a foldable arm J, consisting of two sections jj, which are pivoted together at their approximate ends, and one sectionj has a lug or car at its pivoted end, which is adapted to bear againstthe lower side of the other section j when the arm is unfolded, so thatthe two sections are held in line with each other, as shown in Fig. 6.The inner member j of the foldable arm is rigidly fastened to therock-shaft and the other or outer section j of the arm is rigid with thescalepan, or it may be made integral therewith.

The upper part of the receptacle or case A is provided with a verticalslot Z, which opens through the upper edge of said case, and when thescale pan and arm are depressed by the weight of a letter or otherarticle placed on the scale-pan the arm-section j is depressed into thevertical slot.

To adapt the scale-pan to securely hold a letter or other desiredarticle, which because of the small size of the pan cannot be laidthereon, I provide the pan with vertical clips M, which are made ofyielding fingers arranged in pairs and rigidly fastened to the pan, thepairs of fingers being so arranged that the openings between the fingersare in line, so that a letter can be placed on edge between the fingersand held securely in place thereby.

In the casing or shell A is provided two observation-slots n a, whichare preferably of different sizes and are connected together, andthrough these slots are visible the inscriptions on the calendar ringsor bands N N, arranged within the annulus or shell A and supported onsuitable seats a therein. One of these rings or bands is inscribed withletters or words representing the calendar months of a year, and theother band has the numerals representing the days of theinonth, and saidbands are adapted for independent adjustment to bring the proper monthand day thereof opposite to the observation-slots, so as to be visiblethrough the same. The

hinged lid or cover B of the shell or case is recessed or hollowed toprovide a chamber 1), in which is fitted and secured aclock or watchmovement, (represented at. P,) the same being covered bya bezel p.

The entire device forms a very convenient and handy article around andon the desk, as it may serve as a paper-weight. The rings or bands canbe adjusted toindicate the days and months of the year, and thetime-piece will indicate the hour. To weigh a letter, the lid is raisedand the arm is unfolded to project the scale-pan beyond the shell andthe letter placed on edge on the pan between the clips or fingersthereon. The weight of the letter causes the pan to descend and the armto fit in the slot, and the rock-shaft is thus turned to cause thependant to rotate the shaft G and move the pointer to the proper pointon the dial to indicate the weight of the letter or article. The arm andpan can be folded within the shellA and the lid or cover closed toconceal all the parts of the weighing mechanism and protect the samefrom injury.

It is evident that modificationsin the mechanism herein shown anddescribed as an embodiment of my invention can be made by the skillfulmechanic; and,

WVithout limiting myself to the exact construction herein shown anddescribed, what I claim as new is- 1. The combination, with acase 0rshell, of a weighing mechanism housed therein and having a scale-panadapted to be unfolded beyond the shell or case when in operativeposition, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a suitable shell or case, of a weighingmechanism housed therein and having a foldable arm which carries ascale-pan adapted to be projected or unfolded beyond the ease or shellwhen in operative position, said arm and its attached pan being foldablewholly within the shell or case, as set forth.

3. The combination, with a suitable shell or case, of an anaxially-turning shaft carrying an index, a rock-shaft having means toactuate the aforesaid shaft, and a scale-pan carried by the rock-shaftand adapted to be folded and unfolded within the shell or case,substantially as described.

4. The combination, with a suitable shell or case, of an index-shaft, arock-shaft having means to actuate the index-shaft, and a foldable armconnected to the rock-shaft and carrying the scale-pan, as and for thepurpose described.

5. The combination, with a suitable shell or case, of an axially-turningshaft having an index, a spring-controlled rock-shaft having a pendantwhich engages with theindeX-shaft, and a foldable arm supported by therockshaft and carrying a scale-pan, substantially as described.

6. The combination, with a suitable shell or IIO case, of a spiralindex-shaft having a pointer, a rock-shaft carrying a pendant, arrangedto contact with the index-shaft, a spring, and a foldable support forthe scale-pan, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with a suitable shell or case, of a Weighingmechanism housed within the case and having its scale-pan provided withclips for retaining the article 011 said pan, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination, with a suitable shell or case having a cover, of anindex-shaft having a pointer, a rock-shaft having means to actuate theindex-shaft, a foldable support on the rock-shaft, and a scale-pancarried by the support and having the letter-retaining clips,

